Valley of the Dinosaurs
"The Attack of the Ape Men"Valley of the Dinosaurs #11 (Charlton)
Art and Story: Unknown
December 1976

Katie is kidnapped and enslaved by a
primitive nomadic tribe.

Story Summary

After a period of harsh rains, the cave dwellers must repair
their dam on a nearby lake to prevent flooding of their homes.
Meanwhile, searching for berries in the jungle with Digger,
Katie is assaulted by primitive, nomadic humanoids. Digger tries
to protect her, but is knocked senseless by a club and the
teenage girl is taken as a slave. Digger manages to drag himself
back to his home village and they realize something has happened
to Katie, sending Lok in search of her while the dam repairs
continue.

The nomads have remained in the area longer than usual due to
the disappearance of the leader's son, Jano, so Lok finds them
in a temporary village of their own and rescues Katie. But she
falls into a cavernous hole in the jungle and finds the missing
Jano there, with a broken leg. As the cave dwellers send a war
party to confront the nomads, Lok and Katie carry Jano back to
his people on a stretcher. The tribe's leader is overjoyed to
have his son back and a war is averted.

THE END

Didja Know?

The cover of this issue doesn't seem to have any relevance to
the two stories within. In fact, oddly, Katie here appears to be
lounging about, unconcerned about her father's battle against a
caveman right next to her! Plus, a Styracosaurus is
lumbering towards them all...but appears to be at least
partially walking on air at the edge of a cliff!

Didja Notice?

Page 1 reveals that, despite being referred to as "cave dwellers"
in the opening narration of each TV episode, the tribe that has
befriended the Butlers have some huts that tribe members live in
as well! And there is a log dam on a nearby lake that protects
the huts from floods. We might presume that the Butlers have
taught the tribe how to build huts and dams, hence the
discrepancy from the opening narration, especially given that
this comic book story likely takes place quite some time after
the events depicted in the TV series itself (which ended in 1974,
while the comic continued through 1976).

In panel 5 of page 1, Digger looks like he's taking a shit, with
his rump just slightly obscured by a rock!

Katie and Lok both refer to her attackers, the Tabne, as
"talking apes", but really they appear to be just more primitive
humans, possibly Neanderthals.

The sauropod that emerges from the water on page 4 may be
intended as a Brontosaurus.

The pterosaur flying in the background of panel 5 on page 4 may
be a Pteranodon, judging by the head crest.

Apparently the Tabne speak the same language as the
cave dwellers, for Katie is able to understand them, and they,
her!

Despite the bad bruise from being clocked
on the head by a Tabne club while attempting to protect Katie, Digger
is immediately put to work hauling logs by Tana on page 10!

In panel 4 of page 10, "the Valley of the Dinosaurs" is
mistakenly referred to simply as "the Valley of Dinosaurs."

In this issue, both Lok and the Tabne face a theropod they refer
to as a Taharga. On page 11, it is identified as
Tyrannosaurus. But it is depicted with three claws on the
forelimbs in some panels and two in others. All members of the
Tyrannosaurus genus had only two claws the forelimbs. Another alleged
tyrannosaur is referred to as Godon in
"A Turned Turtle" and "Rogue Rex".

On page 13, the Tabne leader, Brack, throws Katie over his
shoulder, intending to beat her as punishment for failing to
work as his mate's slave. Katie shouts, "Get your dirty hands
off me, you over-grown monkey!" This may be a reference by the
writer to a line from the 1968 film Planet of the Apes,
in which actor Charlton Heston shouts, "Take your stinking paws
off me, you damn dirty ape!"

On page 18, Digger and Glump appear to be crying tears at the
possible loss of Katie!

On page 19, John and the cave dwellers face off against a
saber-toothed cat.

In the last panel of the story, notice that Digger is rubbing
his head against Katie's leg in happiness that she is back,
almost like a cat!